Flexible coupling.



F. R. BLAIR. FLEXIBLE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1918.

Patented Apr. 29, 19M).

- sT TEs O F I FRANK Boss BLAIR, QFGLEN'REGE, NEW mnsny,. nssiaNon T0 1'. a. .BLAm a co., 1Nc., or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conroaArxo or NEW YORK.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

' Couplings, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, such'as will en- 'able others skilledin the art to which it appe'rtains to make and use the same.

This invention" relates to power transmitting couplings', and with respect to its more specific features, to flexible "couplings for the transmission of-torque.-

One of the objects of the invention is the prov1s1on of a practical device to efiicie'ntly transmit torque. p

Another object-of the invention is the provision of a simple device to transmit torque without slip between the driving and driven arts. 1

Anot er object of the invention is the provision of a practical and simple device for connecting driving and driven shafts by means of a flexible disk or disks so as to mitigate wear on the disk while in operation thereby prolonging the life of the couand maintaining the effective trans-' pling mission of ower. v

Other obJects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, andthescope of the application of which will be indicated inthe following claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and wherein similar' reference characters refer to, similar parts throughout the several 'views,,

Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a coupling embo ying the invention Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. I

- Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views of certain ,lates or jaws employed in the; present em odiment. i Figs. 6 and? tain modifications ofthe coupling. I

' In the drawing the numerals 1 and 2 indicate rotatable drivin and driven shafts con;

nected by a flexible oint which is designed to transmit torque from the driving to the Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Apr, Application filed a 'm 22, is 1 s Serial No. 229,956. i

' the flexible ,disk opposite. the. jaw' 9,;th'

clamping bein effected, in the present em bodiment, by t e instrumentality of oneoi .understood that the fin'vention,viewed'jn certain aspects, permits} the employment; of

are views illustrating oer-- driven shaft and to permit displacement of 5 5.

the axis of the two shafts angularly relative to each other while inoperation. The device finds a special utility, in the trans mission mechanism .of automobiles.- The nu-j merals 3 and 4 indicate hubs fixed to rotate. with shafts 1' and 2, and arms 5 and'6exfi y' tending from these hubs '-provide elrnents to whichv the intermediate. flexible disk is clamped. In the present embodiment each hub has three of said arms so as to provide two spiders, and the armsofone shaft are gfi' connected to the disk at points 7,7, 7, alternating with those 8, 8, 8, at which the arms; of the other s'haftare connected thereto, 'andT at-some distance radially from the 'axis of Y0 rotation. In the present embodimentthe. clamping devices for all the mns'am similar and a description of one. wilhsuflicd forall. w. p

' On the outside of the 'flexiblegdisk-tw main clamping jaws 9 and 1 0 are'dis posed In the present embodiment one bf thesem'ai jaws is conveniently providedby prope fashioning of the outer end of the and 6, asfor-instance, the jaw 9;. The; operative main clampin jaw"10, compri see5 a metallic plate disposed at ,theoutside' of 85.5 more tension members, 'or bolts, 11 and nuts 12, the .bolts extending through'openin'gs thejaws Q and 10 and the'flexible-disk.-. Tw tension members or boltsgfor each pair xo f clamping jaws are illustrated, but it will onebolt. y p

. The clamping faces 6 f-.the"main jaws-J9 if; and 10 are of such dimensions 'as to cl mp therebetwe'en a substantial portion radia y, of the disk, so-as to distribute theloadfov'eri a large portionof the width of the'; dislg. When an annular disk is employed, as illustrated, the greaterfportion of the, width oat-190 the annulus may be -thus clamped 'B'etween"-. each pair of main jaws to take the load. Each of thejaws 9 and. 10 is capable-of; taking the-normal clamping strain without. substantial deflection As" illnstrateduthe' 106. jaw 9 is'the thickened outer end of the spider arm, the jaw 10 being a relatively thick metallic plate, as a drop forging, each jaw be ing thus sufficiently rigid to withstand the clamping strain without deflection.

. In the present embodiment the flexible utilized, depending on the load to be taken and the flexibility required. Four disks or plates 13, are utilized in the present embodis ment, and it is to be understood that the term .disk employed herein may include one or several as the context may require.

To effect the firm and secure clamping of the disk to the arms of the spider, so as'to avoid sli pingun'der the torque, and to' avoid wear an consequent looseness of parts, there "is provide'da positive'clutching eflfect between the disk and the clamping jaws 9 and 10. In the present embodiment the disk clamping face of the jaw 10 is provided with clutchteetli' 1.4, forgedwith this jaw and it.

- is found in practice that 'eilicient results are secured by having these teeth of an elongated character, with" their length lying transi 'ersely'to the line of torque strain, and in .linesgenerally radial to the disk. They may .be slightly curi-ed, as illustratedjin Fig. 3. 'Theclamping face of the jaw 9 is also i-ovided with-clutch teeth, but on-account 0 the E. exigencies of manufacture and assembly of partsit, is preferred to provide such teeth .=-of this jaw by meansof a metallic toothed plate 15adapted"to lie closely against the. end of thejaw 9, and held in place by the .holts Ir'wlii'ch nicely fit openings 16 in said M plate; Tliej-toothed "late" 15 is of hard 'meis preferably rigid. -40 althoughizigidity' to the extent required in" tallic' material, an

- .the jaw 10 need not be attained, as-the figid' jaw 9 will reinforcethis plate/and; therewith provide ,a rigid toothed-jaw. For convenience in-manufactureandasseinbly, however, and for reasons of 'practical efiicieneyg' as will appear, the plate l5, is preferably eonstifucted to be simiIar-tdbertain' spacing plates-'17, employed'in the present embodiment? These-spacin members, or distance plattgsl are interposed between, the disks 13 to slightgy space the disks for ready flexing. The la 4 stan clamping and other strains without subs'ta'ntiahfiexin'g, and may be thinner than the jaw 10. The plates 17 also operate? as. clampingjaws, as willjbe apparent, and are provided on oppositejfaces' with clutch teeth to'engage'the surfaces of the adjacent flexible disk 13.

flexible disk and the'element'orarm' 5 or 6,

' as'the'case may be, fortransniis'sio'n' of torque is very effective, the torque strain, as it were entering lthe disk through its surface, the

grippingjefi'ectpf' the construction being whether they be those of the aws 9 and 10; -of two adjacent plates or jaws 17, or of a cs 17 are sufiiciently rigid to with-' In this wise 't-heronnection between the" p oothed clamping jaws.

part of such arms; as shown in Fig. 7.

such that the wear, otherwise consequent upon the transmission of the torque through thewalls of the bolt openings in the disk, is eliminated. To guard against such wear, due to possible insecyrity of f: .ening, the bolt openings in the lsks may be of greaterdiameter-tlian the bolts. Thebolts nicely fit the openings therefor in the jaws 9 and 10, so that the torque strain may be transmitted toand from the shafts l and 2, through the clampin jaws and without slip between the boltsanjaws'. v

To augment the clamping effect of the jaws, tlie teeth of adjacent clampingjaws,

jaw 9 or 10 and a plate 17, are arranged so that the ends of the teeth of one jaw lie opposite the space between the ends of the teeth of an adjacent jaw; for instance, the ends 1840i the teethof the plate 15 lie oppo site the depression between the ends of the teeth l l of plate 10 when no spacing plates are employed, and the ends of the teeth of one spacin plate 15- similarly lie opposite the spaces etween the teeth of an adjacent spacing plate. By this complemental arrangement,'-notwithstanding the use of clutch teeth" the flexible disk will be effectively. gripped over thesurface clamped between the jaws, and the strain thus distributed over a substantial width of the disk. By making the clamping jaws rigid, as explained, the

- clamping pressure is spread over the full area offthe. clamping faces of these jaws, so

as to be generally uniform.

Inthe present embodiment the means to effect the clamping of the disk between the jaws comprises a plurality of bolts 11, for each air of main clamping jaws, a pair be ing siown, one bolt spaced from the other trans'versely'of the line of torque strain.

'In this wise the jaw 10 is reinforced by the positive pressure of, the nuts 12 at different points so as to assure uniform clamping pressure. The numeral 20 indicates a pliable washer through which the bolts 11 pass with a nice fit, this washer having portions 21 extending'outside the periphery of the nuts, and adapted to be bent up against the sides of the nuts tolock them against rotation, as illustrated. It will be observed that the washer is prevented from rotation because of its engagementwith two bolts.

' It is to be understood that the above is merely one construction inwhich'the invention in its'several phases may be embodied. The employment of a plurality of tension .members or bolts is, especially elficacious fwhen combined with the complementally Such boltsmight be provided by. U-members 22 passing through the arms 5- and 6, as illustrated in Fig. 6; or-by studs 23 forming an integral Thus by the above described construction are accomplished, among others, theobjeots hereinbefore referred'to. J' The inventipn accordingly consists in' the features of construction, combinations ofelements, and arrangement'of parts which will be exemplified in the construction herein after set forth, and the scope of the application'of which will be indicated in the following claims.

As manyichanges could bejmade in the above construct-ion and many apparently widely different embodiments 'of'this inventioncould be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that'all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings'shall terposed, and means adapted to efiect clamp ing of the disk between the jaws, each of said aws including a rigid member having teeth the lengths of which lie transversely of the lineof torque strain adapted to positively clutch said disk. v 2. In a torque-transmitting flexible coupling, in combination, a flexible disk, means adapted-to connect" said disk to another ele-- ment for transmission of torque comprising clampingjaws between which the disk is interposed, and means adapted to effect clamping of the disk between the jaws, each of said jaws including a rigid member adapted to positively clutch said disk, the clutch teeth of one member being complemental to those of the next adjacent member.

3. In a torque-transmitting flexible coupling, in combination, a flexible disk, means adapted to connect said disk to another element for transmission of torque comprising clamping jaws between which the disk is interpos'ed, and means adapted to efi'ect elamping of the disk between th e'jaws, each of said jaws including a rigid memberhaving teeth the lengths of which lie transversely of the line of torque strain adapted to positively clutch said disk, the clutch teeth of one member being complemental to those of the next adjacent member.

4. In a torque-transmittingflexible coupling, in combination, a flexible disk having a bolt opening, clamping jaws between which said diskis disposed, and means adapted to effect clamping of the disk between Lne jaws comprising abolt extending through said opening and one of said jaws, said latter jaw comprising'a rigid member having teeth to clutch said disk, and abolt of the disk between the jaws comprising a' I plurality of bolts extending-through said disk and one of said jaws, one-of said bolts being spaced from anothertransversely of the line of torque strain, said last mentioned aw comprising a rigid member adapted to' positively clutch said disk, one Qf S ald-JRWS having clutch t'eeth complemental to-clutch teeth on a cooperativejaw. v

6. In a torque-transmitting flexible pling, in combination, a flexible disk, clamping jaws between which said diskisfldisposed, and means adapted toTefl'ect-clamp-r ing of the disk between the jaws. comprising a plurality of bolts extending through said disk and one of-said'jaws, oneiofsaid bolts being spaced from another transverselyof the line of torque strain, said last mentioned I aw comprising a rigid member adapted to pbsitively clutch said disli, one of said jaws having clutch teeth complemental to clutch teeth on a coiiperative aw, the length of said teeth being transverse tothe line of torque strain.

, v 7. In a torque-transmitting fiexiblecoupling, in combination, aflexible disk, clamping jaws between which said diskis disposed, and means adapted 'to efiectclamp- 1 ing of the disk between the jaws comprising a plurality of bolts extending through said .jaw comprising arigid member adapted to disk and one' of-, said jaws, one of said bolts positively clutch said disk, one of said Ijaws having clutch teeth eomplemental to: cljltch teeth on a coiiperative jaw, and said aws oyerlying a large part of the width of said disk.

i 8. In a torque-transmitting flexiblee 1; pling, in combination, a plp lit f fl ibl disks side by side, a to'othed spacing member between adjacent disks, clampinglf' jaws bej tween which said disks and'spacing member are disposed, and means adapted to effect ,clamping comprising a tension member pass ing t irough said disks andspacing member, oneof said jaws being rigid and having teeth to clutch the adjacent disk.

9. In a torque-transmitting flexible coupling, in combination, a plurality of flexible disks side by side; a toothed spacing member between adjacent disks, clamping jaws between which said disks and spacing member are disposed, and means adapted to effect clamping comprising a plurality of bolts passing through said disks and spacing member and one of said jaws, one of said bolts being spaced from another transversely of the line of torque, and said last nientioned jaw'being rigid, and having teeth to clutch the adjacent disk, and the bolt openings therein closely fitting said bolts.

' and having a pairof bolt openings therein at different points transversely of the line of torque strain, and bolts passing through said disk and bolt openings and closely fitting the latter opening 11. In --a torque'tra-nsmitting flexible coupling,- in combination, an annular flexible disk, calmping aws between which said disk vis disposed, said jaws comprising teeth adapted to clutch the disk, the teeth of one jaw being eomplemental to those of anext adjacent jaw, one of said jaws being rigid and having apair of bolt openings therein at different points transversely of the. line of torque strain, and bolts passing through said disk and bolt openings and closely fitting the latter openings, nuts on said bolts, and a pliable washer' having openings through which said bolts pass and portions extending 30 outside .the periphery of said nuts adapted to be bent to codperate with said nuts to restrain rotation thereof.

In testimnoy whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ROSS BLAIR.

Witnesses: I

FLORENCE E. SLoA'r, I MARGARET (l COLLINS. 

